Converts Fear Inclusion in List of Famous Hungarian Jews

December 23, 1936

The announcement that Bela von Kempelen, the genealogist, will shortly publish an almanac listing famous Jewish families of Hungary has prompted several well known families of converted Jews to hastily plead that their names be omitted.

Authority for this is Egyenloseg, organ of the Jewish community, which says that pathetic scenes occur in the genealogist’s study daily, with men and women begging and threatening him to keep their family names out.

Von Kempelen, who is not known to have any anti-Semitic tendencies, according to the newspaper, will list the ex-Jewish families of the following in his almanac:

Finance Minister Johann Baron von Teleszky, descendant of Rabbi Baruch Zeitteles of Praha, Bishop Wilhelm von Vraknoi, well-known historian, Barons Bidermann, Oroszdy, Dirsztay, Doczy (the first baron of this family was press chief of the Foreign Office), Ullman, Wodiover, Hazai (Samuel von Hazai was commander-in-chief during the World War), Koranyi, Szterenyi (Minister of Commerce Ludwin von Szterenyi is the son of Rabbi Stern) and Wertheimer.